Speaking on Sunday, at the conclusion of U. S. Defense Secretary James Mattis’ two-day visit to Japan, Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said during a television interview that Japan’s Self-Defense Force (SDF) would not deploy to the South China Sea with the United States Navy.
“I told Secretary Mattis that Japan supports the U. S. military’s freedom of navigation operation in the sea,” Inada said on Sunday, according to Japan’s Jiji news agency, citing comments by Inada during the interview. “But the SDF will not be sent to the area,” Inada clarified.
“Japan will play its role through defense cooperation and training,” she added. Japan, while an interested observer in the South China Sea disputes and a supporter of international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes, has not carried out operations in the area outside of training and drills.
Inada’s remarks don’t represent any novelty in Japan’s approach to the South China Sea disputes and the SDF’s involvement in the area.
